On the occasion of the 15th anniversary of ‘Operation Vijay Diwas’, General Bikram Singh, Chief of Army Staff arrived at Drass on Today. The Army Chief was received by Lieutenant General DS Hooda, Army Commander, Northern Command and Lieutenant General BS Negi, General Officer Commanding, Fire & Fury Corps.According to a statement issued to KNS, the visit started with a solemn wreath laying ceremony at the war memorial by the Army Chief. General Bikram Singh also interacted with the ‘Next of Kin’ of the martyrs, Veer Naris and the gallantry award winners. In the somber mood at the event, all present remembered the losses borne proudly by the families of those who sacrificed their sons, husbands or brothers in the Kargil War in 1999.The event and venue is of a special significance to the General who has not only been the Corps Commander of the Corps at Srinagar but was also the official spokesmen of the Army during the Kargil war. Addressing the media on the occasion, the Chief of the Army Staff complimented them for their patriotic fervor and thanked them for covering the Kargil Vijay Diwas Celebrations year after year. He stated that paying homage to the martyrs who laid down their life for the nation’s cause was the most befitting way for him to mark the culmination of his career in the Army. The chief stated that our defence preparedness is much better today than it was fifteen years ago. He assured the Nation that the Indian Army is fully capable of safeguarding the nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. (KNS)